Brick or tile cutting machine



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J. THOMPSON.4 4

BRIGK ORTILE CUTTING MACHINE. No; 532,222. f Patented Jan. 82, 1895-.

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. J THOMPSON BRICK 0R TILE CUTTING MACHINE. n i No. 532,222; Patented Jan. 8, 1895. 5l

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- BRICK CR TILE CUTTING MACHINE.

No. 532,222. Patented Jan. 8, 1895.

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J. THOMPSON.

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PATENT OFFICE. t

JOHN'THOMPSON, OF BUOYRUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO TH FREY-SHECKLER COMPANY, OF OHIO.

BR'I'CK OR TILE CUTTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 532,222, dated January 8, 1895.

Application filed May 7, 1394. Serial No. 5101376- (NO IIIOBL) T @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN THOMPSON, a citizenof the United States, residing at Bucyrus, in the county of Crawford and State of Ohio,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brick or -Tile Cutting Machines; and I do'hereb'y declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled ro in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and gures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

I 5 My invention relates to machines especially designed for the manufacture of bricks and tiles, and in which the slab of clay is delivered from its machine to the cutting table.

The essential objects of the present invenzo tion are to provide an improved means for imparting a reciprocating movement to the cutting table whereby the clay delivered to said table is severed into determined sizes at each reciprocation ofthe cutting frame; to

' provide an improved mechanism for delivering the slab of clay from the clay-machine to the cutting table; to provide the slab carrying frame, instead of the reciprocating cutting frame, with a slidable clutch device, ful- 3o crumed lever, latch and connections, whereby the power devices for operating the slab carrying belt or apron are alternately thrown into and out of operative connection with the mechanism for operating the reciprocating cutting frame; to provide a continuous guide board, fi. e., one in which the opposing sides which guide the column or slab of clay are each formed of a single piece having slits or slots f or the passage of the cutting wires, and 4o in which said sides are secured to a platen so tha-t they may be adjusted toward and from each other to correspond with the diameter of the column or slab of clay which is designed to pass between and be`guided by said sides; the operations being generally, automatic and synchronous to effect the desired results.

My invention consists of the parts, and constructions and combinations of parts, as I 5o shall hereinafter fully describe and claim.

- Referring to the accompanying drawings,

which clearly illustrate my present improvements, Figure 1, is a perspective view of a brick andtile cutting machine embodying my invention. Fig.-2, is an enlarged part sectionalview and part elevation of the clutch mechanism for disconnecting the power devices of the slab carrying table or frame with the cutting frame, tor intermittently operating the latter. Fig. 3, is a plan view of Fig. 6o

2.' Fig. 4, is a cross sectional view on the line i porting frame of suitable design, strength and mechanical construction, and designed to constitute the slab carrying table or frame. At the front end of this table is mounted a drum 2 and at the opposite end of said table is mounted a second drum 3, one of these drums, or the drums 2X and 3 being so proportioned or of such diameter that one revolution about its axis will approximately equal the length 8o of the column or slab of clay to be fed to the cutting table, and then subjected to the action of the cutting wires. Around the end drums passes the carrying apron or belt B.

C, is a shaft mounted in hangers 5 and car- 85 rying at one end a pulley 6, from-Which aband 7 extends to and around a similar pulley 8, on a shaft C mounted in hangers 9.

In the lower portion of the frame isa transy verse shaft 11 provided with a crank arrn and 9o roll 11X (Fig. 20) which is designed to be forced into contact with the fold of the band 7 to serve as a tightener therefor in the usual manner; the mechanism lfor operating this tightener comprising a lever l2 on the opposite 95 end of the shaft 1l having a pawl '13 adapted to engage the teeth of a rack 14, whereby the lever is held inl position after being adj usted and the desired tension is given the band. Ordinarily the weight and movement of the roo slab or column of clay, are suicient to move the rollers and operate the connectingmechf,

anism; but to insure a positive movement and prevent the slab from slipping on the carrying apron, I extend the shaft C and provide the same with a bevel-faee gear 16 which meshes with a bevel pinion 17 on the power shaft 17X, which may be operated from any well known source.

Between or within suitable brackets 1S on the side of the table A, is mounted to slide a bar 19 which is connected by means of a rod or pitman 2O with a wrist pin or crank on the axis of one of the drums, preferably the forward drum 2. The connection may be a direct and fixed one, or it may be adjustable by making the crank with a series of holes 22 into whichta removable pin 23 is designed to be tted to limit or regulate the reciprocation or stroke of the bar 19. The outer end of the pitman is also, preferably, formed with an elongated slot or opening 24 in which the wrist pin 23 4works whereby the bar 19 will remain at rest for a short period of duration at the end of each reciprocation. The inner end of the reciprocating bar 19 is connected by an adjustable connection having alimited amount of play, with an arm or projection 25 from the cutting table frame D. See Fig. 19. This connection is herein shown as consisting of separated nuts 26 on each side of the arm or projection 25, and threaded on the bar, but any other form of adjustable connection will answer the same purpose. Therefore I do not desire to limit myself to any particular form of adjustable connection between the reciprocating bar and cutting table frame.

A The connection of the bar with the crank on the axis of the drum is such that the bar will be reciprocated, a distance say about equal to one half the diameter of the drum, and said bar is designed to stand at rest between the engagements of the crank pin with the end walls of the slot or elongated opening in the connecting pitman; the movements of the bar being arranged to take place and be maintained at the time and for the time that the cutting table is being moved in the respective reciprocations across the column or slab of clay on the platen of the cutting table to be hereinafter described.

On the stationary frame E of the frame A, is mounted a shaft 26 which carries a long pinion 27 or other connection, and a loose gear or wheel 23; and on the shaft 29 of the reciprocating cutting table frame D is a gear or wheel 30 which is adapted to mesh with and slide along the pinion 27 while the said frame is partaking of the reciprocations imparted to it by the rod 19. The shaft 29 also has secured to it a disk or wheel 3l or its equivalent crank arm, from which a rod or pitman 32 extends to and is connected with the frame of the cutting table in any well known and desired manner, so as to reciprocate said table transversely across the column of clay.

The table or cutting frame F is composed of end frames 33 joined by a connecting bar slab of clay passes.

34 which may be slotted to receive the cutting wires 35 which are held at opposite ends by hooks 36, 37, see Fig. 6, and are adjusted by a screw and thumb nut or other Well known connection whereby their tension may be regulated. Between the end frame 33 the guide boards G are secured, these boards in the present instance consisting of two spaced members each formed of a continuous or integral piece and are separated from each other to form a guide for the column or slab of clay as it is received from the apron or belt, first passing through or between rollers 34 at the entrance end if desired. The members of the guide boards (by which I mean each continuous side or wall of the guide channel) are provided with slots or slits 36 for the passage of the wires 35, and their base bars 37 are secured to a platen I composed of a plate forming a table or support for the bottom of the column or slab of clay. This plate or platen I is, by preference, formed of one piece with slits or slots 3S to be aligned with those in the sides of the guide boards, so that the cutting wires may traverse said slits or slots; or this platen may be composed of a number of individual plates slightly separated to form said slits.

In my former patent, No. 456,449, dated July 21, 1991, I disclosed a guide board composed of a number of sections and a platen formed of a corresponding number of frames or plates, but said construction is not so desirable as the present one for the following reasons: When the sides or members of the guide board are made sectional each section must be individually fitted to its platen frame by a bolt and nut thereby requiring a great loss of time in making and fitting the sections and requiring numerous manipulationsin the event of the members of the guide board being adjusted to increase or decrease the width of the channel or guide through which the Not only this, but the constant jarring of the cutting frame may, in f time', loosen the bolts which secure the sections, and causethe latter to turn slightly upon them so as to break the continuity of the sides of the channel for the slab of clay, and close the slits between the section thus moved and the adjoining one so as to prevent the entrance of the corresponding cutting wire. Not only is this liable to happen, but the side of the column or slab of clay would also be made irregular at the point Where it made contact with the affected section. All of these objectionable features are avoided and the construction and cost of manufacture greatly simplified and cheapened by the form of guide board I show in Figs. 5, 6, 7 and Sin which the entire sides are made of one piece, and the platen or bottom also made of one piece. Y

The ends of the base portions of the side of the guide board are preferably provided with elongated slots 39 through which the bolts pass to secure said sides to the platen. This IZO through and is guided and braced within ther l equivalent for the holes.

construction enables me to adjust the distance between the opposing guide boards or sides to increase or decrease the width of the channel for the slab or column of clay to correspond with the diameter or size of the die in the clay machine through which the clay is expressed or delivered tothe apron or belt. t

I will new describe a means for transmitting the movement of the power shaft to the mechanism for reciprocating the cutting table transversely at stated periods. In my said former patent, No. 456,449, a friction pulley and connections were mounted on the longitudinally reciprocating cutting frame but this was not a d esirable construction for the reason that too much weight was thereby added to said frame, and the increased friction of the parts was such as to require 4more power to move said frame. I have found it to be more desirableto place this transmitting mechanism on the stationary frame which carries the apron or belt, as said frame is best adapted for that purpose and the weight to be carried by the reciprocating cutting frame is reduced to a minimum. I also prefer to dispense with the friction wheel and connections of the former patent, and substitute a continuously rotating loose gear wheel, and a slidable clutch mechanism and its operative adjunctsfor accomplishing my present purposes.

The mechanism I now prefer to use for accomplishing my purpose is shown in Figs. 2,`

3 and 4, and in detail in Figs. 9 to 16 inclusive, and which I shall now describe. The shaft 26 which carries the long pinion 27, and loose gear 28, also carries a sleeve 40, which is rigidly fixed t0 it, and is provided with'an extension 40X having a bore 41 in which is seated aslidable bolt 42, also preferably internally bored or recessed to receive a spring 43, (but said spring may be exteriorl of the bolt if desired) which isconfined in place by a cap plate 44, or other desired means, on the outer face of the sleeve. On the face of the continuously rotating loose gear 28 is a plate or disk 45 provided with a series of holes 46, see Fig. 12, or if preferred these holes may be formed directly in the gear itself, or a series of lugs or other abutments may be employed as a'well known The bolt 42 has a head 47 extending at right angles to the body and is to be seated in a recess or opening 48 leading from the bore'in the sleeve in which the bolt is seated. A yoke 49 bolted to the stationary frame or to the standards which support the boxes or bearings for the shaft 26, has fulcrumed to one of its arms a lever 50 one end of which carries a small anti-friction roller 51, while the opposite end extends slotted or bifurcated opposite end or arm of the yoke, said opposite end of the lever being connected with a spring 52 secured to the yoke or other convenient place. The lever parts, it will be seen that on the forward Stoke of the reciprocating bar 19, the cutting table frame is operated so that it Will move with the. moving column or slab of clay. Near the beginning of this movement of the bar 19, the curved or inclined face of the latch 56, will engage the rolleron the end of the lever 50 and the lever will be depressed at said end and will be caused to swing about its fulcrum so that its opposite end will be raised against the force of the spring. When this occurs, the inclined plane or wedge 53 will be slightly above the head of the bolt 42 and directly over a space provided between the said head and one of the walls of the recess48 of that portion of the sleeve which projects from its hub and hasthe bore for the bolt. In this position the bolt is projected inward so that it is in operative connection with ythe continuously rotating gear 28. Therefore, the shaft 26 is set in motion and the wire cutting frame is operated transversely, simultaneously and synchronously with the longitudinal movement of its carryingframe, and with the movement of the slab or column of clay. J ust as soon as the curved or inclined face of the latch 56 escapes the end of the lever 50, the spring 52 draws the lever down and causes the wedge or inclined portion 53 thereof to enter between the head of the bolt and the wall of the recess 48 and thereby withdraw the bolt from the gear 28 and break the connection between the same and the shaft 26. s This shaft then ceases to revolve and the wire cutting carriage ceases its transverse travel, it having, however, traversed the column or slab of clay and severed it during the rotation of the said shaft 26. In the event of the sleeve 40 sticking so that it may be inclined to ro tate slightly after the bolt is released from the gear 26, I employ the lug 54 which, when the lever 50 is drawn down by the spring 53, will pass below the upper corner or angle of the extension from the hub of the sleeve 40 so as to hold said sleeve from further rotation.

On the projection or arm of the reciprocating frame D is pivotally hung a latch 60 see Figs. 16 and 17 with a toe piece 6l adapted to engage a projection 62 on the apron carrying frame; and on the reciprocating lbar 19 is a projection 63 carrying a roller adapted to en` gage the free end of the latch 60 to. raise its toe out of contact with the projection 63 when the bar 19 commences its forward movement, whereby the frame D is permitted to partake of the same speed, or approximately so, as the moving column of clay.

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Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A brick or tile cuttingmachinehavinga guide for the column of clay formed of two opposing sides and a bottom each of which is slotted for the passage of cutting wires and each of said sides being formed of one integral piece.

2. A guide for the column of clay from a brick or tile cutting machine, consisting of two opposing and separated walls or sides each formed as a continuous and integral structure, and a bottom or platen also formed as an integral structure, said platen and sides being slitted for the passage of cutting wires.

3. A guide for the column of clay from a brick or tile cutting machine consisting of two opposing and separated walls or sides each formed as a continuous and integral structure, and slotted for the passage of cutting devices, and a suitable bottom or platen for said guide.

4. In a brick and tile cutting machine, a guide for the column or slab of clay, consisting of a plurality of opposing sides or walls each formed of an integral Whole and slotted transversely for the passage of cutting devices, said sides being adjustably mounted so that either one or both may be moved laterally with relation to the opposing wall to regulate the width of the channel between them with relation to the width of the slab or column of clay to pass through the same.

5. In a brick and tile cutting machine, a guide for the slab of clay composed of parallel opposing sides and a bottom, each of said sides and also the bottom beingcomposed of a single structure slotted coincidently for the passageof cutting devices for severing the clay into lengths, and the sides being mounted so that they may be adj usted toward and from each other simultaneously for their whole length, to vary the Width of the channel between them.

6. In a brick and tile cutting machine, the combination, with the apron carrying frame, the apron and means for operating the same, and a longitudinally movable cutting table frame, of a reciprocating bar one end of which is adjustably connected with the cutting table frame while the opposite portion is adjustably connected with one of the drums around which the apron passes.

7. A brick and tile cutting machine having an apron carrying frame and a reciprocating cutting table frame, means for driving the apron and reciprocating the cutting table frame, and means for moving the cutting appliances transversely during the longitudinal reciprocations of the cutting table frame and the feed of the slab of clay, comprising a stationary shaft with long fixed pinion and loose continuously rotating gear, a slidable clutch between said shaft and gear for giving motion to the former, and means operated by the reciprocating rod for withdrawing the clutch to disconnect said shaft and gear.

8. In a brick and tile cutting machine, the combination, of an apron carrying frame, a reciprocating cutting table frame, an means for connecting the cutting table frame with the mechanism for operating the apron, a shaft and means interposed between the same and the cutting table frame for moving the latter transversely, a gear or wheel loose on said shaft and continuously rotatable by power from the drive shaft, asleeve fixed on the shaft of the loose gear or wheel, a slidable spring actuated clutch device carried by the sleeve and adapted to lock in to the gear to rotate the shaft, a lever having means engag- Y ing said device to normally hold it retracted to disconnect the gear with its shaft, and means for periodically withdrawing the lever from its contact with the clutch device to enable it to connect the gear with the shaft.

9. In a brick and tile cutting machine, the combination, with an apron or belt, a reciprocating cutting table frame, means for operating the apron, and a connection between the power devices for operating the apron and said reciprocating frame, of a shaft havinga long fixed gear a loose gear or wheel also on said shaft and continuously rotatable by power derived from a power shaft, a sleeve fixed on said gear shaft, a spring actuated bolt mounted in said sleeve and adapted to engage the loose gear, a lever fulcrumed contiguous to the sleeve having one end in the path of a driver from the apron actuating mechanism audits opposite portion connected with a spring, and an inclined plane or wedge portion on the lever adapted to be forced into contact with the bolt to withdraw the same and release the continuously rotatable gear from its engagement with the gear shaft.

In testimony whereof I aiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN THOMPSON. Y

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